What does it mean and how will it change the landscape of Canada’s horse industry? At the Equestrian Canada Convention November 2, 2019, the Coach Licensing Program, which was unanimously approved by the Board, was unveiled. The plan is for all coaches to be licensed and certified by 2025.

Equine lameness is an indication of a structural or functional disorder, in one or more limbs or the spine, evident while the horse is standing or in movement. It can range from very mild discomfort, which may only be perceived by the owner or trainer as a decrease in level of performance, to severe pain in which the horse is unwilling to bear weight on the limb. As one of the most common and most expensive medical problems in horses, lameness represents a large concern to the equine industry as well as to individual horse owners.

Numbers help us put information in context and are an easy way to convey specific details. We need to know if that horse’s price is $2,000 or $20,000, whether he stands 15 hands or 16.3, or if he’s 3 years old or 12. Those numbers are details which help create a mental picture, and help us understand. A 25% discount is better than 10% off. And McDonald’s signs, which used to state the ever-increasing number served, now simply read: “Billions and billions served.”

PThere are always new trends in business, and the horse industry is no exception. Some people say that no one needs a horse in the 21st century, and many worry that soon there won’t be a future for horses. But after 30 years of owning and operating Country Hill Farm in Stouffville, Ontario, I disagree. In recent years, more and more mature riders have contacted me wanting to get back into the sport or asking if we take beginners of a “certain age” — and the answer is yes!